While law enforcement agencies tout the technology for solving crimes, installation of Flock license plate readers plate readers pose a growing privacy concern for many in Wisconsin and across the nation.

UW Madison instructor Dorthea Salo suggests we think of Flock cameras as if they’re people. “So you have people stationed in various places around the city, around the state, taking notes on every single car that passes by.” Salo says privacy concerns extend far beyond vehicle license plates, make and model  “This adds up into a giant database of who was where when. It’s not just that they can place you in a particular place at a particular time. They can build up a dossier of your movements over time.”

While some communities in Wisconsin and elsewhere have cancelled Flock contracts after public opposition, Salo that doesn’t mean similar tech can’t be deployed. “A lot of the places that have canceled Flock contracts are actually looking to replace them with different systems.”

UW Madison and communities in Dane County and the Fox Valley are among those that have stepped away from Flock in recent months.